How craft beer venues should use social media

I consider myself a cheerleader for the Capital District craft beer scene, so much so that I started a Facebook “like page” and a Twitter account called Albany Craft Beer as a way to help promote all the craft beer-centric venues and events happening in this area. Much like this blog, it’s not done for money, I just do it because I enjoy it.

However, I’ve noticed a lot of craft beer venues do not understand how to use social media to their advantage. Heck, many places do not use it all, which is baffling because a good portion of their customers incorporate social media into their lifestyle. When done properly, there is nothing to be lost and much to be gained by having a strong social media presence.

There are books, even college courses, dedicated to the how’s and why’s of a successful social media campaign, so this blog will be more of an overview than a step-by-step/how-to guide. Most of these tips are applicable to any small, local business; they’re not restricted to craft beer establishments.

Show us your taps!

First thing’s first: If you’re a craft beer establishment you’d better be changing out your taps regularly. When one keg kicks, you don’t just put on another keg of the exact same beer, do you? Therefore, it would behoove all craft beer establishments to let their customers know what’s on tap on a frequent basis (e.g. weekly or semi-weekly). Websites are fine for this, but a social media status update is even better. Though there’s more to it than simply posting a message or sending a tweet. While it’s true that not every social media update is seen by everyone (more on this shortly), posting the tap list on a regular basis helps customers like me get acquainted with the frequency of the updates. This is especially helpful on Facebook these days as the algorithm for the site only shows posts that it thinks the user wants to see (whereas Twitter shows you everything from everyone, but you can get buried in tweets).

The best example of what I mean comes from my friends at The Bier Abbey in Schenectady, who are the absolute best at continually showing off their tap list on their Facebook page:

This is what I would consider a perfect presentation for a tap list, for three reasons:

It colorful, eye-catching, and easy to read.

All 30 taps are listed on the same board.

The prices and pour sizes are clearly indicated.

I wish every craft beer bar had a tap menu like this (in both appearance and selection). Some have a similar-looking list, but not all in one place, and/or they don’t post their entire menu on social media at once. Notifying us of a single tap change is nice, but it’s unreasonable for anyone other than employees to know all the beers that are on tap at any given moment. Also, posting a link to your venue’s listing on beermenus.com is also nice, but an all-in-one, easy-to-read graphic like the one above is better.

Facebook and Twitter should supplement – not replace – a website

Every bar, restaurant, tavern and brewpub should have a website. Every one. I do notice some places only have a Facebook and/or Twitter account, but no website. Using these outlets instead of a website makes me think the establishment is stingy. If they cut corners on literally projecting their image to the world, what else do they cut corners on?

The problem with social media feeds is that there’s no organization to them – everything just appears in reverse chronological order. A professionally-designed website offers a variety of choices in an easy-to-see, easy-to-browse format. I should be able to go to yourvenue.com and see links to the food menu, beer menu, events, hours, location, about us, etc. Trying to find these things on a Facebook page can be something of a wild goose chase.

So few people actually see Facebook and Twitter posts

As an addendum to the previous point, it should be noted that businesses should not expect that every post and tweet will be seen by every follower. Most analytic reports show that the average share on social media is seen by only 5-15% of the followers at most! For example, if your business has 1,000 likes on Facebook and you post something about today’s special, only 50-150 people will likely see it (though, how many actually take the time to stop and look at it is another story). With Twitter, the reach is even smaller.

On social media, everything is “in the moment.” It is not a remotely “permanent record” like a website. On Facebook, a post from 12 hours ago is “old,” a post from 24 hours ago is “really old,” and anything beyond that is just archaic. Therefore, it is rather ridiculous for the average bar, restaurant, brewpub, etc. to post a list of events and specials for the entire week on a Monday under the assumption that: 1) Their fans will see it when it’s posted and remember all the different details for the different days; or 2) they will come back to it later; or 3) that they will even see it all (I say again: Facebook tends to show you only posts from pages itthinks you want to see).

Facebook events can be helpful

There’s nothing wrong with posting events on a business website, but since events are timely they’re better promoted through social media. One of the best features of Facebook for a business is the ability to create events and invite guests. While it’s true that actual Facebook posts don’t get as much traffic as you’d think, events can be targeted to specific people by inviting them. Plus, attendees can invite their friends, which help get the word out even more. A Facebook event is also helpful through the smartphone app whereby a user can simply tap on the event and add it to their calendar.

The downside, though, is if you invite too many people too often you run the risk of being blocked by those who feel you’re spamming them. Additionally, it looks bad when an event indicates that 1,387 people have been invited, but only 20-30 have actually RSVPed.

Businesses should use “like pages,” not profiles or groups!

This is one my biggest pet peeves of social media. Whenever I see a local business using a profile page instead of a “like page,” I immediately facepalm. There are so many reasons this is bad form, because:

It indicates ignorance of how Facebook works and makes the business seem out of touch.

Facebook profiles are limited to 5,000 friends, but “like pages” can have an infinite number of fans.

The customer has to wait for the business to actually accept their friend request and may not be able to see the business’s posts in the meantime.

According to Facebook’s user agreement, personal profiles are not allowed for business use anyway.

Lastly, if you’re using a group for your business’s Facebook presence, it looks like you prefer 2400 baud dial-up modems and electronic bulletin boards to modern technology.

Chad Polenz

25 Responses

I realize you have nothing to do with the Bier Abbey, but why is Bell’s Two-Hearted a 12 oz. serving? Why not make it $7/pint like Kalamazoo Stout from Bell’s? Just trying to sneak in an extra quarter per pint.

I’ve been there a number of times and Bier Abbey serves most of their beers in custom glassware that is usually branded with that beer/brewery on it. The glassware is all sorts of shapes and sizes, so the largest pour listed on the board is the amount that fills up that specific glass.

Ridiculously snobbish comment. I’ve been to many craft beer bars of a higher quality than Bier Abbey and been served IPAs in standard pint glasses. And there are many glass shapes that can be 16 oz., no reason to serve a standard IPA in a smaller serving other than sneaky profits.

It’s not snobbish, it’s fact. This is why beer is considered the red headed stepchild of alcohol. Have you ever seen wine served in a shaker glass? Why is that? Because wine is classy, but beer is not? If people knew that glassware matters, shaker glasses would be used at bro bars only.

It has nothing to do with “sneaky profits”. In fact, the opposite is true: bars that claim to use 16oz shaker glasses often use 14oz glasses that look 16oz.

Of course you can use shakers for any kind of beer you want, but if you care about presentation then use the proper glassware. In the case of The Bier Abbey, they’re all about proper presentation and they’ve always been consistent about it.

And you’re ignoring the real point, which is that a 12 oz. pour is not standard for an IPA and there are plenty of 16 oz. serving vessels that are not shaker pints that could and should be used (see Stone Go To on the big board). Serving a beer at a similar price to its peers, but in a smaller glass is about profit.

That’s not what I said. Cicerones, just like Sommeliers with wine, are the most knowledgeable about beer in all aspects. It’s highly unlikely you’ll ever find a Cicerone saying shaker glasses are just fine for IPAs.

As for your assumption that they are “just trying to sneak in an extra quarter per pint,” let me explain how your beef is based on ignorance of basic lassiez-faire economics:

1. You assume that Kalamazoo Stout and Two-Hearted Ale cost the exact same price per keg from the distributor and that the customers have an equal amount of demand for both beers. I would venture to guess there is less demand for the stout, so it probably costs less at the wholesale price. Therefore, if Two-Hearted costs the restaurant more to buy from the wholesaler (and I’m quite sure it does), it’s completely logical that they would sell it at a higher price. So how it is in any way “sneaky” to sell a beer that costs more and is in stronger demand at a slightly higher rate is beyond me.

2. You clearly didn’t do the math.
Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA is $5.50 for a 12oz pour. That’s a rate of $0.4583 per ounce.
Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout is $7 for a 16oz pour. That’s a rate of $0.4375 per ounce.
The price difference between the two beers is only TWO CENTS per ounce!

If the Two-Hearted was sold in 16oz pours at the same rate as the 12oz pour, it would only be $7.33 which is hardly price-gouging. This might be where your beef about “sneaking in an extra quarter” derives, but that would only be a valid complaint if both beers cost the exact same price from the wholesaler and both beers were equally in demand by the customer base.

There is absolutely nothing shady or unethical about the ways these beers are priced. In my opinion these beers are worth what they’re charging, and I doubt you’ll see either of them on tap somewhere else for a significantly lower price (or on tap anywhere else at all, for that matter).

Please “don’t ask a Cicerone”… But, if you’re going to suggest something like that, I’d recommend adding “Beer Steward” (Master Brewers Assn) over a BJCP judge (BJCP folk don’t necessarily know jack about glassware). You’re also over-thinking the wholesaler’s role in this – a good bar manager can sell popular beers at a lower price and still come out further ahead. There’s a myth out there that bar managers need to make a certain margin per keg – I’d argue that I need to realize a certain income per tap. If I have a slow moving beer, I need to move it and put something on that will make me money (it’s a volume game as much as it’s a margins game). The size and price is also easier than you make it sound – I choose my glass size primarily on alcohol content – higher ABV beers obviously get smaller glasses. I will also purposefully raise prices on higher alcohol beers not to gouge, but to discourage over-consumption – remember, my job is not to get you drunk, but to keep you safe while enjoying great beer. By the way, I’m very up front with my customers about my pricing logic – and when I tell them it’s about keeping their BAC at a reasonable rate, they almost always get it. And no, we don’t gouge where I work, but gouging obviously happens in some bars – too many bars. So, while your math is right, the reasoning for any bar manager may be quite different. As for the shaker glass… yeah, they suck, but they suck for a reason. For me I hate shakers because bars stack them and scuff the interior wall of the glass, which is unsightly for consumers paying a premium for a premium beer. Secondly, it has to do with the way it impacts your tongue – shakers just let beer wash over the entire tongue all at once. Glasses that taper a bit at the top will focus the liquid to the front of your tongue. Glasses that flair will require you to drink with more aeration (which should allow consumers to appreciate more subtle flavors). I don’t subscribe to the notion that every style needs it own glass, but the glass will serve a purpose. Just my $0.02… but I’m just a bartender.

And I have no clue what this bar is, who runs it, or anything… Just speaking of some additional logic that goes into pricing at bars. Some bars suck, no doubt. I wasn’t referring to this particular example, just bars in general.

Why not ask a Cicerone? Understanding the proper glassware is a very important part of the Cicerone Certification Exam….most of which is defined by Brewers Association rules and guidelines.
Although some beer personalities and select beer snobs may frown upon the standard American Shaker Pint Glass, the Brewers Association lists it is as the preferred glass for many styles including Sweet/Oatmeal Stouts, American Lagers, Porters, American Wheat Beer, Amber Ales and….wait for it….Double/Imperial IPA’s. There are other glasses that are considered “acceptable” for these styles, but the American Shaker Pint is listed as “recommended” for these styles. There for, it IS highly likely to expect a Cicerone to say “Shaker glasses are just fine for most IPA’s”
I am neither defending nor supporting this glass. These are the Brewers Association standards. Facts from the defining experts, not opinion. That said, I agree with Rick that the pricing and pour sizes are likely set based upon ABV. In this case, the Kalamazoo Stout is only 6% ABV while the Two-Hearted is 7%, likely calling for a smaller pour so that the customer is not getting hammered.

I have never been to the Bier Abbey but their list looks great. However (just my two cents) when there are glassware size discrepancies all over the place, it is suspect. Unfortunately in NYS there is nothing regulating glass size. The 14 oz. “pint” is all too common at bars (usually the ones where dudes are screaming at a sports team on the TV) where they find it necessary to cheat consumers. We should have glass markings, CE stamps, lines etc. that state the fluid contents in the glass.

1 – For beers that are in excess of 6% ABV, we determine whether it should be served in 12oz servings or 16oz and price it accordingly. Two Hearted, at 7%, is served in 12oz pours. A beer like Molotov Cocktail is served in 8.5oz pours. That is the way we do it, trying to be responsible and represent the beer well.

2 – Our pour sizes are based on volume of beer you get and not the size of the glass. Just about every glass has a pour line and the ones that do not have a feature on the glass that indicates the pour mark. For instance, we pour 16 ounces in 20 oz pint glasses, room for a little head and no beer spilling all over your glass. We do not pretend we can get 16 ounces into a 16 ounce glass, that would be silly. Our 12oz pours are in 13.5 oz glasses and our 8.5 oz pours have pour lines noting that. It is not rocket science but I appreciate the European way of knowing and getting what you are paying for…no smoke and mirrors…

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